Overview
- The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed at all-time highs with the Dow Jones rising 0.52% to 44,484 points
- June retail sales rose 0.6%, surpassing forecasts as consumers increased spending on automobiles, building materials and apparel
- Weekly unemployment claims dropped to 221,000, below the 235,000 forecast and marking a four-week low in jobless filings
- Quarterly reports from ABB and TSMC set new order and earnings records, bolstering gains in technology and industrial sectors
- Tensions over Federal Reserve independence and trade policy persist as President Trump denied plans to fire Chair Jerome Powell and investors monitor U.S. tariff talks with the EU and China ahead of looming deadlines